williams



L; N. D. WILLIAMS; MACHINE FOR SEWING KNIT FABRICS.

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I PatentedFeb. 9, 1892.

WITNESSES:

L. N'. D. WILLIAMSi MACHINE. FOR SEWING KNIT FABRIG$.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 3.

L. N. 1). WILLIAMS. MACHINE FOR SEWING KNIT FABRICS.

N0. 468,490. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.-

JKA MMW I INVENTQE WITNESSES:

a ZZ/F (No Model.) 5 sheetsesheetj.

L. N. DJWILLIAMS. MACHINE FOR SEWING KNIT FABRICS. N0..468,490.

Patented Feb. 9, 1 892.

SN @NRN %I NNSNRN I WITNESSES 5 e h S H e e h S 5 w 7 I R w F M T T. NLK G HN I Ww ..E D w NF B LN I H G A M a d 0 M O No. 468,490. PatentedFeb. 9, 1892:

' INVENTOB WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ROBERT \V. SCOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR'SEWING KNIT FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,490, dated February9, 1892.

Application filed July 11, 1891. Serial No. 399,188. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS N. D. IVILLIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residingin the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Uniting Knit Fabrics, of which the following is aspecification.

' My invention relates to a class of machines technically known aslooping frames, which are employed for uniting or seaming together theedges of knit or other looped or enchained fabrics, and which performtheir work by the conjoint operation of a reciprocating sewing needle, aseries of fixed impaling needles, and a vibrating looper.

In machines of the foregoing character a needle base, being a fixedsuspended disk, is equipped with a circumferential needle ring which isadapted to be intermittently rotated with respect to the base and whichis provided with a series of radially projectingimpaling needles whichin the rotation of the ring are caused to be successively presented tothe reciprocating needle. As these machines have heretofore beenorganized, the sewing needle has either entered the fabric to be seamedfrom the point or else from the butt or basal end of the needles uponwhich the fabric is impaled. Practical disadvantages have beeninseparable from both arrangements, and in the machines in which thepoint of the vibrating needle has faced the point of the impalingneedles, damage has frequently resulted to the reciprocating needle, tothe impaling needle and to the brass by which the latter are maintainedin position relatively to their ring, whenever the reciprocating needlehas happened to get out of adjustment to an extent suiiicient to causeit to encounter either an impaling needle or the needle-retaining brass.

My improvements relate to looping frames in which the point of thereciprocating needle faces either the point or the butt of the impalingneedles, and their object is, first, to provide automatic means by whichinjury to the reciprocating needle, the impaling needles, or the brass,may be automatically avoided in the event of the accidental misstroke ofthe reciprocating needle and its contact with either an impaling needleor the brass, and, second, to provide improved means of acompact simpleand inexpensivecharacter whereby the machine itself may be caused to, atwill, make either a single or a double stitch.

A machine embodying my improvements in a convenient form is representedin the accompanying drawings and herein described, the particularsubject matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in top plan view amachine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectionalplan view of the cam wheel, the cam ratchet wheel, and the shaft ratchetwheel. Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views of positionswhich the vibratory needle and the looper assume in the well knownoperation of stitch-forming. Fig. 5 is a right-hand side-elevationalview of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 10.. Fig. 6 is a top plan View,and Fig. 7 a right hand side elevational view, of the outer extremity ofthe ratchet-arm and its fixed and adjustable ratchet teeth. Fig. 8 is aleft hand side elevational View upon an enlarged scale, of the innerextremity of the needle cam lever, showing its connection with theyielding link and the connection of the latter with the needle-carryingstem, needle bar, needle, needle rocker arm, and needle eccentric,--theview serves also to illustratein vertical sectional elevation theconstruction of the needle base, the needle ring, the brass, and theimpaling needle. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of theyielding link and connected parts as shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a lefthand side elevational view of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Fig.11 is a left hand magnified side elevational detail of the outerextremity of the needle cam lever, and of a portion of the cam wheel.12, is a diagrammatic detail of the impaling needles, illustrating therill -or groove in them, and, in dotted circles, the movement which thereciprocating needle makes in mak ing, as upon the left hand, a singlestitch, and, as upon the right hand, a double stitch. Figs. 13 and 14:are views respectively illustrating the concatenation or enchainment ofa thread to form repectively a single and a double seam of the usualcharacter.

Fig. I

IOC

Fig. 10

5 plication of the yielding link in connection with a single stitchmachine or one not provided with my improved needle cam lever foreifecting the formating of a double stitch.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Inthe machine represented in the drawings, A is the base plate or bedframe of the machine adapted to be secured fixedly to any appropriatesupport. Springing from the base plate, and preferably cast integraltherewith, is what I term a suspending arm A conveniently of the curvedform represented, at

' its basal portion constituting the standard (1 and at its outerextremity equipped with a depending pintle a upon which the hub of theneedle base is conveniently secured.

a is a second standard or housing, preferably also cast integral withthe base plate,

" and springing therefrom, the upper extremity of which is formed as aboxing a, which, in connection with a similar boxing a formed in theupper portion of the standard a of the suspending arm, serves to supportthe driving shaft B of the machine.

0 is the needle base, being a disk formed with a central hub cconveniently axially apertured to fit the pintle a of the suspendingarm, and by such means, or otherwise, rigidly carried by said arm in anapproximately horizontal position. This base may be of any preferredconstruction, conveniently of that shown in the drawings and especiallyin Figs. 1, 5 and 10. Peripherally the base is so formed as to fit it toreceive the needle ring D,of any usual construction and providedwith aseries of brasses d secured by screws 61' or otherwise, and adapted tosecure the impaling needles E in a manner usual in these machines. Theapplication of the needle ring to the base is such as to permit of therings rotating with respect to the base.

d is a circumferential rack formed upon or applied to the under face ofthe needle ring in -any preferred manner, and which is adapted to beengaged by a pinion f upon one extremity of what I term the ring shaftF, supported in suitable bearings f applied to the under-face of theneedle base. At the extremity of the'ring shaft opposite to that whichis equipped with the pinion f, a shaft ratchet wheel F is rigidly fixed.It is obvious that the rotationof the shaft ratchet wheel will occasionthe rotation of the ring shaft and pinion, and the consequent rotarymovement of the needle ring with respect to its base. The predeterminedintermittent movement of the shaft ratchet wheel is oc- I casionedthrough a ratchet arm F provided I an eccentric strap f applied to aratchet eccentric f keyed upon the driving shaft B. The rotationimparted to the driving shaft by means either of the crank handle I) orthe pulleys b occasioning the rotation of the shaft, will also occasionthe throw of the ratchet eccentric and consequently of the ratchet arm,with the result that each complete rotary movement of the shaft will beaccompanied by such forward and backward movement of the ratchet arm aswill occasion a given movement in the shaft ratchet wheel, which, aswill be seen in the drawings,passes through a slot 0 in the needle base.

G is a cam wheel mounted upon the ring shaft F, conveniently through theintervention of a tubular hub g which is also formed or provided withwhat Iterm a cam. ratchet wheel G of slightly larger diameter than theshaft ratchet wheel, and formed, as shown in the drawings, withalternating teeth g of different radial heights, both the shaft ratchetwheel and the cam ratchet wheel as to their upper portions pass throughthe slot 0 in the needle base, while the cam wheel G, similarly passesthrough the slot 0 The cam wheeland cam ratchet wheel are convenientlyconnected by the tubular hub g, and therefore adapted to rotate togetherupon the ring shaft as an axis. The free extremity of the ratchet arm F,in addition to the fixed ratchet tooth f, is provided with aspring-controlled supplemental pivoted ratchet tooth f, Figs. 6 and 7,adapted to be at will so adjusted with respectto its fulcrum as to bethrown into or out of engagement with the teeth of the cam ratchetwheel. When this supplemental ratchet tooth is set so as not to engagethe teeth of the cam ratchet Wheel, that wheel, in the throw of theratchetarm, stands still. When, however, said ratchet tooth is set toengage the teeth of said cam ratchet wheel, the latter is caused tointermittently rotate. In the formation of the teeth of the two ratchetwheels the respective heights of the alternated teeth of the cam ratchetwheel are such that the supplemental ratchet tooth at every throw of theratchet arm occasions a rotary movement of the cam ratchet wheel equalto the distance apart of the teeth of said wheel, the height of eachalternate tooth of said cam ratchet wheel being such that the fixedratchet tooth f is lifted from engagement with each alternate tooth ofthe shaft ratchet wheel, with the result that the cam ratchet wheel iscaused to make two revolutions for every one of the shaft ratchet wheel.

H is a pivoted pawl adapted to engage the teeth of both ratchet wheels,and to prevent the reverse rotation of said wheels.

I is what I term a needle cam lever, the same being a lever of the firstorder conveniently centrally fulcrumed by a fulcrum pin 1', sprung fromthe suspending arm. The outer portion of this needle cam lever whichoverhangs the needle base is provided with an adjustable depending camtoe i adapted to ride upon the crests and hollows formed on the ICSperiphery of the cam wheel G, and its extremity is provided with apivoted adjusting lug t by which its drop relatively to the needle baseis regulated.

t is a detaining spring whichnormally serves to maintain the outerportion of the cam lever down so that its. lug is in contact with theneedle base.

It is obvious that the rotary movement of the cam wheel in its action inthe operation of the machine will occasion such vertical oscillatorymovement of the outer extremity of the cam lever as will correspond tothe lift and drop of the cam toe in its ride upon the cam wheel.

The inner extremity of the cam lever is jointed by a pivot i to thelower extremity of a yielding link J, the upper extremity of which isfixedly provided with a laterally extending horizontal needle -carryingstem 7', upon which is mounted for oscillatory movement the tubular hubof the needle bar K the said stem serving as the axis upon which the hubof said needle bar is caused to oscillate in the throw of the needlerocker arm k in the actuation of the latter by the throw of theeccentric strap k of a needle eccentric 11: mounted upon the extremityof the driving shaft opposite to that to which the crank handle isapplied. The needle 70 is, as usual, carried by the needle bar, and, inthe vibratory movement of said bar, is advanced and retracted in theusual manner relatively to the successive impaling needles, inparallelism with each of said needles as it presents, and radially withrespect to the needle base. Upon the outer end of the needle stem isaffixed a bracket arm k which carries the usual thread tension disks k.

L is a looper of the usual construction, mounted upon the innerextremity of alooper arm Z, the tubular. hub Z of which is mounted upona fixed stem m projecting forwardly from a sliding frame M adapted toslide upon a pair of guide bars co projecting from the side of thevertical basal portion or standard a of the suspending arm.

Z is what I term a looper rocker, the same being an arm springing fromthe hub Z of the looper arm vertically and at its upper extremityequipped with acam roller Z3 adapted to a peripheral cam-way, which Icall the looper cam-way it, formed in a cylindrical cam which I term the1ooper-cam, and which is keyed upon the driving shaft between the needleeccentric and the boxing a in the basal portion a of the suspending arm.

n is what I term a frame cam-way, the same being a suitably formedradial cam groove, circumferentially channeling the cylindric looper camand adapted to engage a frame cam-wa lug m" applied to the slidin l eframe M.

It is obvious that in the rotation of the driving shaft, the action ofthe respective cam-ways in thelooper cam respectively upon the looperrocker and the sliding frame, will occasion the well known compound upand down and forward and backward movement of the looper, inpredetermined correspondence with the movement of the needle in theformation of the stitch,any description of which operation, being oldand well known, is foreign to the purposes of this specification.

The yielding link J heretofore referred to as being pivoted to the innerextremity of the needle cam lever is normally maintained approximatelyat right angles to said cam lever by a maintaining spring j convenientlysecured between an attaching pin j on the inner extremity of the camlever and an attaching pin 7' on the upper extremity of thelink,andtheneedle-carryingstemandneedle bar, the hub and the rocker arm,are, therefore, normally maintained by said yielding link in the samemanner that they would be maintained were the stem pivoted direct to theprolonged inner extremity of the cam lever itself, or to the side, forinstance, of the suspending arm. In the event, however, of the actualmaladjustment or mis-stroke of the reciprocating needle to such extentas to cause the encounter of said needle with the impaling ring or abrass, the function of the yielding link is instantly asserted in thatit yields, so to speak, or gives way in such a manner that theneedle-carrying stem or fulcrum of the needle bar describes an arccentered upon the pivoted connection of the link with the cam lever, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and thereby, notwithstanding that theneedle eccentric continues its movement, permits such a yielding of theneedle arm, (or, strictly, of the hub or fulcrum of said arm) asprevents either the breaking of the vibratory needle or the impalingneedle or the injury of the brass.

It is of course to be understood that in the construction described inwhich the yielding link is pivoted to the inner extremity of the needlecam lever, such pivoting to said lever is simply for the purpose ofillustrating the application of the yielding link itself in connectionwith a machine in which the needle bar happens to be in train withdevices for occasioning its double movement with respect to eachparticular impaling needle in. the forming of a double stitch, asopposed to a construction in which no double-stitch-forming mechanism isemployed,and not that the device is restricted to adouble stitchmachine. ter explanation illustrated in Fig. 16 the application of thelink direct to the suspending arm,-the pivot 11 in such case beingapplied direct to the suspending arm and the attaching pin j similarlyto said arm.

The operation of the machine as an entirety will now have beensufficiently understood from the description heretofore given of theoperation of the various parts which together compose said machine, andinasmuch as the I have, therefore, for the sake of bet- IIO foreconstructed is well known, no further description of that operation isdeemed necessary. Suffice it, therefore, to say in conclusion, that theapplication of the yielding link in connection with the reciprocatingneedle, whether said needle be employed in connection with devices whichenable it to form either a single or double stitch,is intentionally suchthat the function of said link is to permit of the yielding of thefulcrum of the needle arm in the event of a false stroke of the needle,and in order that damage to the needles and brasses may be avoidedg-andto further state that the application of the needle cam lever inconnection with the cam wheel'and cam ratchet wheel, when the latter areapplied in connection with the shaft ratchet wheel and ratchet arm atone end, and with the needle-carrying stem atthe other end, enable me tocompact and simplify the devices which permit of the machines being usedeither as a double or as a single stitch machine, and, moreover, afforda readily controlled mechanism by the aid of which the machine as anentirety may be instantly shifted from a single to a double stitchmachine.

Although I have described and represented my improvements in so far asthey are concerned with the yielding of the axis of the needle asapplied only to a machine of the character described and in which afringe of radialimpaling needles is employed, it is yet obvious thattheseimprovements are applicable to reciprocating needles broadly assuch and as applied in other forms of machines in which sewing needlesper 36 are employed for uniting various fabrics.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for sewing the seams of knitted or looped fabrics, thefollowing elements in combination:-a reciprocating needle, aneedle-carrying stem or axis with respect to which the needlevibrates,-and a yielding or vibratory link to one portion of which theneedle-carrying stem is affixed and another portion of which is fixedlypivoted to a relatively fixed support,-whereby the needle may, upon athis-stroke, yield both in single and in double stitch -making,substantially as and for the purposes specified;

2. In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, thefollowing elements in combi-nation;-a rotatable needle ring, a vibratorylooper, a reciprocating needle, a needle arm, a needle-carrying stemwith respect to which said needle arm has reciproeating movement, aneedle rocker arm, an eccentric for actuating said arm, a yielding linkto the upper extremity of which the needlecarrying stem is affixed andthe other extremity of which is yieldingly pivoted to a point ofrelatively fixed support, and a spring normally serving to support andmaintain said link in a predetermined position, substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

3. In a machine for sewing the. seams of.

knit or looped fabrics, the following elements in combination ;-aneedlecam lever with one extremity of which a reciprocating needle baris connected and the other extremity of which rides upon a cam wheel, acam wheel, a cam ratchet wheel connected with said cam wheel, a ratchetarm provided with a tooth for engaging said ratchet wheel, and means foroccasioning the reciprocation of said ratchet arm, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

4. In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, thefollowing elements in combination ;a needle cam lever with one extremityof which a reciprocating needle bar is connected and the other extremityof which rides upon a cam wheel, a cam wheel, a cam ratchet wheelconnected with said cam wheel, a needle ring, a shaft ratchet wheelthrough which said needle ring is rotated, a ratchet arm provided withteeth respectively adapted to engage the ratchet teeth of the respectiveratchet wheels, and mechanism for occasioning the reciprocation of theratchet arm, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, thefollowing elements in combination ;a needle ring rotatable with respectto a needle base, mechanism substantially such as set forth foroccasioning the predetermined intermittent rotation of said needle ring,a reciprocating needle, mechans ism substantially such as set forth foroccasioning the reciprocation of said needle, a looper, mechanismsubstantially such as set forth for occasioning the movement of said Tlooper, a needle cam lever centrally pivoted so as to partly overhangthe needle base and at its inner extremity provided with aneedlecarrying stem with respect to which the neej dle has movement andat its outer extremity controlled by a spring to occasion it to beardown upon a rotatable cam wheel the upper periphery of which presentsthrough the needle base, a cam ratchet wheel similarly presentingthrough said base and connected with said cam wheel, a ratchet arm beinga member of the mechanism for occasioning the rotation of the needlering, and ansadjustable ratchet tooth upon said arm adapted to be at iwill engaged with the teeth of the camratchet wheel, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

6.In a machine for sewing the seams of knit or looped fabrics, thefollowing elements spring for maintaining said link in a given positionrelatively to said needle cam lever,

ITO

a cam Wheel for oooasioningapredetermined oscillatory movement of saidneedle cam lever, and mechanism substantially such as set forth foroceasioning the predetermined rota- 5 tion of said 0am Wheel,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my invention Ihave hereuntosigned my name this 3d day of July, A. D. 1891.

LOUIS N. \VILLIAMS.

In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLOR, F. NORMAN DIXON.

